FORGOTTEN PAST
1242 Words
By the time Julia woke, the sun had already set.
The room was dimly lit, with the last traces of daylight fading behind the curtains. Outside, the gentle chirping of crickets drifted through the slightly opened window, replacing the cheerful songs of birds from earlier that morning.
She stretched lazily before sitting up.
For a moment, she simply looked around, almost forgetting where she was.
Then it all came rushing back.
Alex.
The girls.
The snowy town.
The attack.
She slipped out of bed and quietly made her way downstairs.
The house was unusually silent.
“Where is everyone?” she wondered aloud.
Curiosity got the better of her.
Instead of heading straight to the living room, she wandered through the house, taking in her surroundings properly for the first time.
The house was spacious yet modest, with six bedrooms—four upstairs and two downstairs.
Its interior reflected simplicity. Soft shades of white, grey, and black dominated the décor, giving the home a calm, minimalist feel. There were no extravagant decorations, only carefully chosen furniture and neatly arranged family photographs resting on shelves.
It felt lived in.
Loved.
She noticed one of the downstairs bedroom doors standing slightly open.
Quietly, she pushed it wider.
The moment she stepped inside, she coughed.
Dust floated through the air, disturbed by her movement.
The furniture was covered with white sheets, and a thick layer of dust coated nearly every surface.
It looked as though no one had entered the room for years.
The layout was almost identical to the guest room she had slept in, yet this room carried a strange heaviness—as though it held memories no one wanted to disturb.
Not wanting to invade anyone’s privacy, Julia quietly stepped back out.
She had just turned toward another room when the sound of children’s laughter echoed through the house.
They were home.
She quickly walked back into the living room and sat on the couch, pretending she hadn’t been wandering around.
Seconds later, Anna and Eve burst through the front door, arguing over who would get the television remote first.
“Give it to me!”
“No! I saw it first!”
Their playful argument came to an abrupt stop the moment they noticed Julia sitting on the couch.
Both girls froze.
Their eyes widened in surprise.
Without saying a word, they hurried toward their father.
Alex walked in behind them carrying several grocery bags and their school backpacks.
He looked puzzled by their sudden retreat until his eyes landed on Julia.
“Oh.”
A warm smile crossed his face.
“You’re awake.”
He set the groceries on the kitchen counter.
“I didn’t want to wake you. You looked like you really needed the sleep.”
Julia smiled politely.
“I guess I did.”
Alex crouched beside his daughters.
“Girls, you’ve already met her, but properly this time…”
He gestured toward Julia.
“This is Julia.”
He paused before adding,
“She’ll only be staying for tonight. She’ll probably be gone tomorrow.”
Anna and Eve looked at Julia before giving small nods.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” Julia replied with a gentle smile.
The girls smiled shyly before racing upstairs, their earlier argument instantly forgotten.
Alex watched them disappear before chuckling.
“They’ll warm up to you.”
“They’re good kids.”
Julia smiled.
“They’re adorable.”
Alex’s expression softened.
“They’re my greatest blessing.”
He carried the grocery bags into the kitchen.
A few moments later, his voice echoed through the house.
“Julia?”
She looked up.
“Could you help me for a second?”
She walked into the kitchen to find Alex standing helplessly in front of a mixing bowl filled with what vaguely resembled dough.
“I’ve been fighting this thing for ten minutes.”
He sighed dramatically.
“I think it’s winning.”
Julia couldn’t help smiling.
He untied his apron and stepped aside.
“Your turn.”
Still pretending to be slightly offended by his earlier comment about her leaving the next day, she accepted the apron without a word.
She washed her hands, tied the apron around her waist, and began kneading the dough.
Within minutes, the sticky mess transformed into a smooth, elastic ball beneath her hands.
Alex watched in amazement.
“You probably think I’m an irresponsible father.”
She looked up.
“What?”
He leaned against the counter.
“Because I can’t even knead dough properly.”
He laughed at himself.
“But I wanted to try making something different for the girls.”
He shrugged.
“I guess everyone has a first attempt.”
Julia shook her head gently.
“I don’t think you’re irresponsible.”
She continued kneading.
“I think you’re doing an amazing job.”
Alex looked at her.
She smiled softly.
“Playing the role of both a mother and a father can’t be easy.”
She paused.
“And yet… your daughters are happy.”
She looked back at him.
“That says a lot about the kind of father you are.”
For a moment…
Alex forgot to breathe.
The kitchen suddenly felt very quiet.
He found himself studying her.
The delicate curve of her face.
The way her long eyelashes cast tiny shadows against her cheeks.
The effortless concentration with which she worked.
A loose strand of blonde hair slipped across her face.
Without thinking…
He reached out and gently tucked it behind her ear.
Julia froze.
Her hands stopped moving.
Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his.
Their gazes locked.
For a heartbeat…
Neither of them moved.
Alex was the first to look away.
He cleared his throat awkwardly.
“I…”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“I just didn’t want your hair ending up in the food.”
Julia stared at him for another second before a small smile found its way onto her lips.
“Right…”
She nodded knowingly.
“Of course.”
A faint blush crept onto Alex’s face.
The rest of the cooking passed in comfortable silence.
Every now and then, Alex caught himself stealing glances at her as she moved around the kitchen with quiet confidence.
Whenever he realized he had been staring, he quickly looked away.
Julia noticed every single glance.
She simply chose to pretend she hadn’t.
Dinner was peaceful.
Anna and Eve filled the room with endless chatter and laughter while Alex listened with an amused smile.
Julia mostly remained quiet, occasionally smiling at the girls’ conversations.
After dinner, she thanked Alex and excused herself upstairs.
Alex stayed behind to wash the dishes.
Later that night, feeling thirsty, Julia quietly came downstairs.
She opened the refrigerator and reached for a bottle of cold water.
At that exact moment, Alex stepped out of the hallway.
He stopped in his tracks.
For a brief second…
He simply stared.
The oversized sweatshirt hung loosely over her slender frame, making her look even smaller than she was. Her slightly damp hair rested over her shoulders, and under the soft kitchen light, she looked almost unreal.
Like a sculpture carved with impossible precision.
For a fleeting moment, he was lost in her beauty.
Then, like a crack of thunder, the past found him.
“You don’t deserve anything good.”
The woman’s voice echoed inside his head, carrying with it memories he had buried long ago.
His smile disappeared instantly.
- Writer
